Price of 45 ACP ammo!!

[jmsj]

I guess I am just out of touch.
I can't remember the last time I purchased handgun ammo (think it was in the mid-late 80's). In fact I don't even look at them when I'm at a store (which isn't often) or in the flyers that come to the house. I started casting my own boolits four years ago and have not bought a single bullet since.
I finished up a trigger job on a guys Kimber Ultra CDP II and needed some rounds to run through it to make sure all was well.
I went to my ammo cabinet and found boxes and boxes of +P ammo, Noe 452640 HP's (thought they might be too long to cycle in his gun), 4 kinds of Bullseye loads and various boxes of plinking loads that I shoot out of convertible Blackhawk (wasn't sure RNFP's would cycle his gun). All told hundreds and hundreds of rounds but no Hardball rounds.
I needed to get this gun back to him today. Embarrassed, I asked him if he had some Hardball loads I could run through his gun to function test it. He said sure he just bought some Hardball and asked if I would run some of his SD loads through it also. He handed me the box and I saw the price sticker. My jaw just dropped, $39.99 for a box of 50 American Eagle 230 grain FMJ !!!
I guess I need to get out more often.
jmsj

P.S.
I thought with the 3" barrel,alloy frame and only one or two rounds in the mag that this lightweight pistol would kick like a mule. I was completely wrong it was very pleasant to shoot and controllable. I found it very difficult to show restraint and not shoot all of his ammo.

[41 mag fan]

Lol...Kimbers are nice to shoot. That Ulta CDP II being one of them.

[PbHurler]

When I purchased my first 1911, I could buy a couple of boxes of factory loaded hardball ammo cheaper than I could buy the components to handload it. Not any more!

[Kraschenbirn]

Factory .45 ACP must be cheaper where you are than around here. Last 'hardball' that I've seen recently were some 250-round Remington Bulk-Paks @ $239.95 (+ 8.75% state & local tax).

[dakotashooter2]

Thats the way it is when you load your own. You kind of lose touch with prices untill there is a price increase in components or you have to buy a box........... and are reminded why you reload. I have heard that ammo has a low profit margin but question if that can be true knowing what it cost me to reload a box (with retail price components). Maybe it's because there are just too many middle men........................

[Bonz]

Ammo is definately beginning to show up and the prices are coming down, slowly but surely... Also seeing more primers at local stores, max 1000 primers per customer sucks but it keeps my wife and I shooting ;-)

http://www.gunbot.net

[captaint]

I had a little different experience. When I bought my first 1911 that I intended to shoot a lot, I took my boys and off to the indoor range to break in the new gun. Now, I had reloaded for 30 years then, but not 45ACP, so I had no dies, boolits or even brass. This was about 5 years ago. The 2 boxes of ammo, the cheapest they had, was about 50 bux. Then and there, I decided it was time to start castin boolits. I had bought everything but molds years before, had WW's and all.
That same evening, I went home and found CastBoolits on the computer. The rest, as they say.................. Mike

[oldred]

Not 45 auto but I can sure relate to your surprise, I stored my guns in 1981 due to my job requirements keeping me form being home long enough to use them and I never pulled them out until just three years ago when I retired. The first thing I did after de-mothballing everything was go to the LGS for some 45/70 ammo, I nearly choked to death and had the big one right there!!! LOL, The last box of 45/70 ammo I bought was at a small country store near where I live and the nearly empty box (two rounds left) still had a price sticker of $8.95 and at the time they could probably have been found cheaper. When he laid out the three boxes of ammo on the counter I just didn't know what to say, kind of embarrassed I just told him I was a little surprised since I had not bought ammo in a while but there was no way I was going to lay out $109.00 for three boxes of 45/70s!

[Hardcast416taylor]

This ought to make you ill. I bought a Combat Commander back in 1970, the owner of the Gamble`s hardware/variety store threw in a free box of Rem. 230 gr. FMJ with the new pistol. The ammo was going for $17.99 per 50 and I got the pistol for $355 if I recall.Robert

[destrux]

Hmm and I thought $19.99 for a 50rd box of Herters 230gr FMJ was bad considering it was $14.95 a few months ago. Berdan primed aluminum case though. The cheapest brass stuff here is $24.99 for PMC.

Must be our close proximity here in PA to all the communist states (NY, NJ, MD) that demand for ammo is lower or something.

[Bullet Caster]

I'm not really surprised at this. Our Wally World here in eastern TN, has only 4 boxes of .270 Win and 2 boxes of .30-06. They still have a few shotgun boxes but no handgun ammo whatsoever. I asked if they were getting out of the ammo business and they told me "no" it's just sold as soon as it comes in. I asked when the next truck would be in and she told me every night, but no one at Wally World knows if the shipment will contain any ammo.

Looks like that if they were wanting to make a few $$ more, they'd stock up on handgun ammo. This frenzy just plain out sucks big time. BC

[Gliden07]

This is the reason I started to reload and cast! I had stopped shooting (a lot) for a few years. I had bought 2000 45acp reloads for 5.95/50 just before I quit shooting. Last year I started to shoot IDPA, I was shooting anywhere from 90 to 120 rounds per shoot not including practice out of my Full size Kimber!! Went to buy hardball ammo and the cheapest I could find was about $17.95/50, before the Panic!! I figured I would be better off buying all my reloading and casting equipment and start doing it! Cost (prepanic) for all equipment was less than the cost of 1000 45ACP! So for less then the cost of 1 case of factory Ammo I was ready to go! I use to cast and reload when I was younger but at one point it was cheaper to buy shells then load! That's why I stopped loading. Well all has come full circle!! I've even downsized I'm going to shoot an M&P9C in IDPA casting my own again 124GN 9MM Boolits VS 230GN 45ACP! Almost half the lead!! TWICE the shooting!! The advantages to loading and casting are as long as I have components I have Ammo! I've been lucky in the Component department and have bought when I could and what I could. Just started to gear up for shotgun shells got a free MEC progressive reloader and dug out my old 600JR.

[Ed K]

So what is the attraction in getting a 45 Colt/45ACP convertible revolver as suggested by so many? Sure, if one does not handload and the only alternative is factory ammo then OK but 95% or more of those promoting this option do handload. I don't see handloading 45 Colt as anymore expensive than 45 ACP and the added cost of the cylinder could buy a box of 1000 Starline 45 Colt brass!

[Adam10mm]

I reload and sell these locally for $30 per 100rds. It's the Lee 230gr TC with 6gr WSF. Same loaded using a plated bullet is only $40 per 100rds. I couldn't imagine paying that much for only 50rds? Even new brass ammo. That's just unreal.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/freakshow10mm/45-235-LTC.jpg

[jmsj]

So what is the attraction in getting a 45 Colt/45ACP convertible revolver as suggested by so many? Sure, if one does not handload and the only alternative is factory ammo then OK but 95% or more of those promoting this option do handload. I don't see handloading 45 Colt as anymore expensive than 45 ACP and the added cost of the cylinder could buy a box of 1000 Starline 45 Colt brass!
Hey Ed,
When 45 Colt brass became hard to get in '08, 45 ACP once fired was still readily available. That is when I started looking into getting a 45 ACP cylinder to fit to my existing gun. I found one here on Swappin & sellin. I had read from some that they were actually getting better accuracy from the 45 ACP cylinder. I get pretty good groups from the 45 ACP cylinder but get my best groups from the 45 Colt using a 300 grain load that is pretty warm. I use the ACP's for plnking and letting my kids and guests shoot. I think it just gives another option using the same gun. The craziest part is I can get the same POI for the warm 300 grain 45 Colt load and one 45 ACP load at 25 yds.
jmsj

[BruceB]

I bought a Combat Commander back in 1970, the owner of the Gamble`s hardware/variety store threw in a free box of Rem. 230 gr. FMJ with the new pistol. The ammo was going for $17.99 per 50 and I got the pistol for $355 if I recall.Robert

Are you SURE about the price on the Commander? An inflation calculator says that figure represents over $2000 in 2012 dollars.

I bought a Colt Gold Cup .45 in 1970 for just $152 NIB, which translates to $870 in 2012 bucks.... much closer to reality, I believe.

[bob208]

last time i bought ready made .45 acp. it was $10 a hundred. 7.50 if you took corosive primed. i have bought many boxes of brass. i have a lee 230 mold. so i stay under my rock and load and shoot.

[TJF1]

I have 2 1911 that i had built in 1980
and have in excess 10000 rounds through one
of them and never had jackted boolit or factory
round fired in them
terry

[Hardcast416taylor]

Are you SURE about the price on the Commander? An inflation calculator says that figure represents over $2000 in 2012 dollars.

I bought a Colt Gold Cup .45 in 1970 for just $152 NIB, which translates to $870 in 2012 bucks.... much closer to reality, I believe.

YUP, it was a brushed nickle finish new in the box. I do remember it being a few bucks over $325 or so and what with tax on it, which is the manner I figured the price I said. Still got the ammo box with the $17.99 sticker on the end, so I know that price is right, he always was kinda high on his ammo back then. Pistols in .45 acp were a little dear to come by for awhile back then.Robert

[TXGunNut]

Last time I bought factory 45acp practice ammo was a little over a year ago. A short 100 rd refresher with my carry guns cost me nearly $40! I only shoot my carry guns a couple of times a year so until then it wasn't a big deal. Suddenly I recalled there was a Dillon 550 (w/ 45acp dies in place!) under that blue cover and a couple thousand 45acp cases stashed up under the bench. Hadn't really considered casting pistol boolits up to that point (other than 45 Colt), decided that was flawed thinking. Within a week I had a 2c mould that dropped Lee's version of the H&G 68, worked so well I ordered a 6c and within a few weeks most every case was full, even the SP ones. May have $4-5/box invested. Feeling pretty smug about that today.

[bobthenailer]

Is that what factory ammo cost these days ? havent bought any for 40 years ! except 22lr and some CCW ammo

[DxieLandMan]

My wife bought me a Thompson a while back for my birthday and got mad because I did not shoot it that much. I told her that ammo was too expensive. 45 ACP ammo here sells for $25+/ for 50 rounds. Not too much but I do not shoot just 50 round when I go shooting. I have a 45 mold but have not cast for that caliber yet.

[Hardcast416taylor]

This ought to make you ill. I bought a Combat Commander back in 1970, the owner of the Gamble`s hardware/variety store threw in a free box of Rem. 230 gr. FMJ with the new pistol. The ammo was going for $17.99 per 50 and I got the pistol for $355 if I recall.Robert

I must make an apology for an error in my posting on buying a Colt Combat Commander for about $355. It should have read 1990 not 1970. My mistake for nor having my eye glasses on or a lamp lit at the computer.Robert

[Tazman1602]

I must make an apology for an error in my posting on buying a Colt Combat Commander for about $355. It should have read 1990 not 1970. My mistake for nor having my eye glasses on or a lamp lit at the computer.Robert

LMAO old buddy! I was wondering about that one!! Thought you might be in the same shape as Dad!!!! Only a month left to work Bob, then I'll be back on regular like.

Art